Well the new new Zogby poll confirms what most every reality based American knows- we are in a recession. It also crowns Bush as Mr. 26% (not sure how that relates historically in Zogby's polls)
Excerpt:
Three in four Americans – 74% – believe the U.S. economy is currently in a recession, a sharp increase from the 54% surveyed last month who believed a recession could arrive sometime in the next year...
Nearly three in four are also pessimistic about the overall direction the U.S. is headed – 73% believe the country is on the wrong track, up from 62% who said the same last month. Independents are most likely to feel this way (85%), but most Democrats (77%) and Republicans (60%) also believe the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction.
also, good portents for the coming election:
Discontent over the nation’s economic policy cuts across party lines, but is strongest among independents (91%) and Democrats (89%). Among Republicans, 80% now give U.S. economic policy negative ratings, an increase from 66% who said the same last month.
and the beneficiary of all this good will is of course Bush:
Approval ratings for the President stand at just 26% this month, down from 34% who gave him positive job approval marks in February. Bush has lost ground across the political spectrum, including among likely voters in his own party – fewer than half of Republicans (48%) view his job performance favorably, down from 61% last month. His support among political independents has fallen to 19% from 29% last month, and among Democrats, stands at 9%, down from 13%.
unfortunately, approval of congress is also way down:
Likely voters are even more dissatisfied with the job performance of Congress – job approval ratings for Congress have fallen to just 13%, down from 17% who gave Congress a positive rating last month. The Democrat-controlled Congress earns positive ratings from 15% of Democrats and Republicans, but just 7% of political independents.
So as we head into general election mode, the thing to remember is indeed: it's the economy!!! But we also need to heed the other most recent Zogby poll, which shows that Americans want McCain to answer the 3 AM phone call. And Zogby also shows, in another poll that whether it is Obama or Clinton in the genreal Mcain beats both.
So while we need to hammer the economy, we also need to pay attention to what Americans want in their commander in chief. And while Obama has come out today with a strong rebuttal to McCain's claim to leadership with regard to Iraq and military policy in general, he needs to work on the defecits in that second poll.
Still, if the economy continues to deteriorate further as November approaches, it seems it will indeed overwhelm the whole 'global war on terror' psyche the GOP is clinging to now for the 7th year straight. It's all they have left, in an increasingly empty quiver. The Bush administration is (and has been since 9/11) jumping through hoops to keep the stock market from completely tanking, as the recent rate cuts and actions to spare Bear Stearns have shown. It's all they have left to hide the fact that the economy is a disaster, and they will continue to talk a good game despite the growing reality of the pain most Americans are suffering.
And it looks like reality is finally catching up.